Official Nikon Z9 Launch, Info, and Discussion Thread

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hahaha, i love being in a different timezone and waking up to the responses here!

I watched Ray's initial impressions video yesterday arvo and what he's experiencing is pretty much my feeling at this point also... This is my first Z body so there has been a little bit of a learning curve, but it's really not that hard to try a few things and understand what a AF mode does and does not do well and how to manipulate to get a result. The fact that you do have to manipulate in situations where the competition doesn't is disappointing but really if we expected the Z9 to be perfect with the first FW version i think we're on the good drugs. It's good but far from great at this point. I shoot side by side a lot of the time with a R5 user at the moment (both of us use adapted big primes) and the AF difference is in certain situations is very much there. We'll get the updates and it will catch up, but dam, people need to stop being defensive of the thing... it's a camera not a child!
 
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ssheipel said:
I actually asked when out shooting birds in a park if I could photograph a dog catching a frisbee to test the Z9 AF. Hilariously (I thought) I was told no! LOL Still going to ask the next owner of an acrobatic dog I come across :)
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Of course, you did the polite thing. In the US, if it's in public view, it's fair game (usually).

Of course also, you could be the game...We have guns over here. Much more common than cameras.
 
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John Woodworth said:
Of course, you did the polite thing. In the US, if it's in public view, it's fair game (usually).

Of course also, you could be the game...We have guns over here. Much more common than cameras.
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HA! I'm now going be nervous on my next walk down an American street :) I've been a candid street photographer longer than have been shootingwildlife, long enough from the days when it never occurred to ever ask re taking a photo on the street to today where even with the lens just pointed at the ground to 'these days' where I've had people scream at me that I must stop taking their photos. All to say, I wasn't really asking permission about the dog, just kind of saying I was about to with a question mark on the end. But to your point, I DID the Canadian thing and responded to the dog's owner's 'no' with a 'sorry' LOL
 
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Z9 at ISO-3200 and NO noise removal. It's no D6 from a noise perspective, but I have to say this is VERY usable without any ugly noise removal. It's fun to finally start using it.
FE9_7936-2.jpg
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For me to get the Z9 a lens has to go. Either the 500mm PF or 500mm F4 G. Looking at a lot photos the PF is very good on the Z9. Plus I have a dealer wihose offered a decent price for the G lens, and I think once the big Z lenses come out folks will be trading up to these. And the weight is a big consideration.
 
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A video made yesterday of a Red Kite in flight, recorded at 4k and 120 fps, and uploaded at 1/5 speed (although youtube has passed it to FullHD). The lens used is a 500mmf4 AFS with FTZ. You can see how it behaves. I've made several similar videos, and in some it did lose focus, although I think in most of the few cases it was more because of my inability to keep it focused. Keep in mind that these kites are true acrobats of the air. In the photos taken, the focus with this combo also works very well.



 
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John Navitsky said:
@zule11 can you summarize for those of us trying to decide if it's worth giving him clicks?
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My take FWIW is there's not really any info there (or at least nothing I found new/interesting). The question "is it cheating?" refers to whether it is "cheating" to have a camera that can shoot 120fps allowing you to always get the exact perfect moment. He took some shots of a few sports, showed that there didn't appear to be any rolling shutter issues and printed out one of the photos at 16x20 to show that even though they're small jpegs they can still print pretty well (obviously there's caveats on type of shot, composition, exposure, etc.).

Basically it was just "yeah, it can shoot 120fps, in an apparently-useful manner and you can almost always get the 'perfect moment'".

Or at least that's my summary/take-away.
 
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nautiboy said:
My take FWIW is there's not really any info there (or at least nothing I found new/interesting). The question "is it cheating?" refers to whether it is "cheating" to have a camera that can shoot 120fps allowing you to always get the exact perfect moment. He took some shots of a few sports, showed that there didn't appear to be any rolling shutter issues and printed out one of the photos at 16x20 to show that even though they're small jpegs they can still print pretty well (obviously there's caveats on type of shot, composition, exposure, etc.).

Basically it was just "yeah, it can shoot 120fps, in an apparently-useful manner and you can almost always get the 'perfect moment'".

Or at least that's my summary/take-away.
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JP is an absolute master of the obvious.
 
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So, the Recall Shooting Function is basically the Z9 cameras U1, U2, U3
The four custom memory banks can each be assigned to a different button giving four User set ups.
Anyone using it this way?
 
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The U1, U2 etc work roughly like the Shooting banks in Nikon's flagship ILCs.
RSF works as an "expanded" function in Custom settings to setup a set of presets including exposure, AF and fps. Introduced in firmware upgrade for the D5 circa 2018, and expanded in the D6. Apart from dropping the Toggle option, Nikon have expanded the functionality of RSF in the Z9 in some respects.

most recent thread about RSF here
 
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I hope Nikon seriously considers implementing most of the items on Brad's firmware wish list including all our inputs. I don't find a single item on that list to be not useful. It would take the camera up another level and I'd be willing to even pay for it. Chris Ogonek mentioned in his last session with Brad Hill that Nikon is looking at this list but he didn't promise what all Nikon would consider implementing from that list. I guess we will have to wait and watch.

fcotterill said:
The U1, U2 etc work roughly like the Shooting banks in Nikon's flagship ILCs.
RSF works as an "expanded" function in Custom settings to setup a set of presets including exposure, AF and fps. Introduced in firmware upgrade for the D5 circa 2018, and expanded in the D6. Apart from dropping the Toggle option, Nikon have expanded the functionality of RSF in the Z9 in some respects.

most recent thread about RSF here
Click to expand...
 
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thelordofthelight said:
I hope Nikon seriously considers implementing most of the items on Brad's firmware wish list including all our inputs. I don't find a single item on that list to be not useful. It would take the camera up another level and I'd be willing to even pay for it. Chris Ogonek mentioned in his last session with Brad Hill that Nikon is looking at this list but he didn't promise what all Nikon would consider implementing from that list. I guess we will have to wait and watch.
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Since it was admitted that some new functions are coming out in a fw update (the references to the "group like" features), it will be interesting to see what Nikon is *already* planning to ship.

But yah, I hope they take the input seriously.
 
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The Nikon rep was at my local camera shop (https://artscameras.com) so I paid a visit to lay my hands on a Z9, and to look at an actual copy of the 100-400 Z lens. Well it turns out I am the next name on the pre-order list for the lens and after getting the Z9 in my hands and comparing the feel to a Z7ii, I have also placed an order for the Z9. Don't know my place on the wait list yet, but will find out soon!

I just loved the feel of the camera and how comfortable it fits in my hands. While I love my Z6, it has always felt small and the buttons are too close together for me. The Z7ii does not improve on that issue, so the Z9 is my choice. Looking forward, but will not have it for my Kearney, Nebraska trip in April. We shall see.
 
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JAS said:
The Nikon rep was at my local camera shop (https://artscameras.com) so I paid a visit to lay my hands on a Z9, and to look at an actual copy of the 100-400 Z lens. Well it turns out I am the next name on the pre-order list for the lens and after getting the Z9 in my hands and comparing the feel to a Z7ii, I have also placed an order for the Z9. Don't know my place on the wait list yet, but will find out soon!

I just loved the feel of the camera and how comfortable it fits in my hands. While I love my Z6, it has always felt small and the buttons are too close together for me. The Z7ii does not improve on that issue, so the Z9 is my choice. Looking forward, but will not have it for my Kearney, Nebraska trip in April. We shall see.
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Last Monday I started looking for a Z9, and last Wednesday Best Buy had them available for order. I finished charging the battery and setting the Z9 up about an 2 hours ago.
If one is wanting one soon look to the larger electronic stores that carry them AND do not take pre-orders.
 
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RoyC said:
Last Monday I started looking for a Z9, and last Wednesday Best Buy had them available for order. I finished charging the battery and setting the Z9 up about an 2 hours ago.
If one is wanting one soon look to the larger electronic stores that carry them AND do not take pre-orders.
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Best wishes in your new purchase. I know there may be faster paths to a Z9 but I am helping keep the local camera store in business.
 
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RoyC said:
Last Monday I started looking for a Z9, and last Wednesday Best Buy had them available for order. I finished charging the battery and setting the Z9 up about an 2 hours ago.
If one is wanting one soon look to the larger electronic stores that carry them AND do not take pre-orders.
Click to expand...
Great job for scoring one like you did. I looked and, of course, they are now sold out!
 
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